A Life that's so Precious: A Narrative from Death by Cristina

Cristina's entry into Varsity Tutor's October 2025 scholarship contest

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A Life that's so Precious: A Narrative from Death by Cristina - October 2025 Scholarship Essay

Werner. The one that didn't make it. Liesel. The little gravedigger girl who liked to steal books. Two lives that were so precious, taken into directions no one should have to experience. And yet, they shined in the eyes of death. It doesn't seem worth it at first, all the suffering, all the hardship. The little gravedigger girl left an impression on Death, as he acquitted himself to the doleful job he was subject to, he was moved by her. It was a somber narrative from 1939 to 1942 during World War II, as Death watched a small boy on a train to Munich Germany pass away, leaving the young sister and mother to watch as they buried the young boy under the snow. That day Liesel got her nickname of the book thief when stole the gravediggers handbook. The sky was white, and he could feel the powerful sorrow coming through her, a deep feeling he found unique to the young girl. In the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak I learned a very important lesson from Liesel and the narrator Death. Liesel was a young girl who had been through so much hardship, so much pain; nevertheless, she wasn't cold or hollow, but felt very deeply. Death caught onto this, and felt an immense profoundness in Liesel. He followed her, like a small firefly in the smog, who shined more brightly than such a paltry being does. Through watching her, we learned that life is to be felt deeply, and in such a human way that even death can be jealous. That through hardship understanding and character can be built, creating a person that can be seen as a light even through bomb smoke and wailing sirens in a small German town. Liesel was a spectacle of the depth of human feeling, as she loved, and grieved, never turning to stone. I learned from Death that sometimes it's the little things that can make the biggest difference, and paying attention to those who are kind can illuminate your life, paving the way to a new perspective. Sometimes just stopping and taking in the world around you can give a clarity or direction that can't be seen if you go too fast. The world and those in it have wonderful things to offer if you're willing to take a second and look for that small sparkle in the dust. Just as Death found a personality and character that's as a diamond in the stone, we can take a second to look around and find the twinkle in our air polluted world. Just one firefly at a time.

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